UnExceptional
by YumiOCS
Summary: "The heart wants what it wants. There's no logic to these things. You meet someone and you fall in love and that's that." – Woody Allen. You can find love where less hoped when least expected. A story about a ex-demon and a girl that had nothing execptional but yet... Angst. Romance. It's basically gaaraxoc but there is also shikaxtema. Rated T because of the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have changed a little how the War goes so it fits the story.

A lot of thanks to Eryn Michaels. I took the lucky strike with this amazing beta-reader

Disclaimer: I only own the characters Mitsue, Kushio and Kyoichi. The other characters and the whole Naruto world are owned by Kishimoto

_UnExcepitional – chapter 1_

"It's impossible. I can't see any way out. We need reinforcements."

Gaara sighed and rubbed his temples. He tried to ignore the wave of irritation growing in his chest. It wasn't his officials' fault if the situation was difficult. But he would not tolerate dropouts.

"Don't say that."

"Sorry?"

"Do not say that it's impossible. We must think of something… anything, by ourselves. We cannot wait for reinforcements."

"But Kazekage-sama…"

"No buts. The other divisions are dealing with their own problems. We need to think of something… there must be a way…"

Gaara bent over the battle maps again; the situation was not promising. Even with all their gathered efforts, there were many casualties. It was the end of the second day of battle. They had almost exterminated the white creatures, but the Edo-Tensei was giving them a hard time. Now, at night, silence had spread through the fields. The injured were sent to the medical units, and the others retreated to rest. Except for the Kazekage and his closest officers. They were meeting under a big tent to find a new strategy, since the last one was organized with the consideration of a much lower number of opponents – they did not think about the enemy forces increasing. It didn't help at all that their main strategist was killed during the first battle. Gaara's eyes wandered as he looked for his officers. Some of them bore superficial wounds, others were just exhausted. He himself was tired, although no scratch marked his perfect skin. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again. He hated to admit it, but he had absolute no idea what to do.

"Gaara-sama?"

"Yes, Kushio?"

"I know someone who might be able to help."

"Who would that be?"

"Her name is Mitsue, and she is a kunoichi of the Sand."

"Never heard of her." Another officer commented.

The chorus of "me neither" rumbled in the background.

"Kazekage-sama, I don't think we should involve someone whose skills we don't know in a war plan."

Gaara looked up to the Sand nin that suggested to consult the kunoichi. They had worked together for a while, and he trusted the young man's opinion.

"Bring her here."

"Yes sir!"

The nin left the tent to search for help. Meanwhile, the other officials shifted uneasily, murmurs of disapproval reaching Gaara's ears. He closed his eyes briefly. It's very hard to please everyone… It was so much easier when he didn't even care… When he did as he pleased. But now he was the Kazekage, moreover, he was human. And to care had become something inescapable. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his calm in his resolution. If they manage to win the battle, the fact that some of his officers got offended because they had resort to an unknown nin wouldn't matter at all. But this was indeed curious. How did he never heard of this kunoichi if she was so skillful? Gaara was taken from his reverie by a throat clearing.

"Kazekage-sama?"

He opened his eyes and scanned the tent. All of his officers stared at him slightly worried. He shot a blank look at them. Then his attention was drawn to the girl standing by Kushio.

"Gaara-sama, this is Mitsue, she was my teammate when I was a genin"

Gaara looked the girl up and down. She had a few scratches and a deeper gash down her arm. Her short curly brown hair was soiled with blood and sand. But despite the apparent fatigue, her tall body featured an imposing stance. And her eyes, a different green, almost golden, showed an unwavering determination.

"Nice to meet you, Mitsue. I'm Gaara, the Kazekage."

The young woman's face lit up with a smile.

"My pleasure, Kazekage-sama. Kushio said that you would like to ask me a few questions?"

"Just a moment, miss." One of the officers approached. "I would_like _further information about _who _you are."

Mitsue hesitated for a moment, the officer's tone of voice was not very inviting. But soon she was recomposed and answered, in a tone that was not defiant, but also not submissive. There was… pride in her voice.

"My name is Mitsue, my parents are Tadashi and Naoko. I'm seventeen years old and I'm a chunnin of the Sand."

"She is just a chunnin!" The same officer said with despite.

"Please, let her show what she can do!" Kushio asked, a little desperate.

"We have no time to waste with your girlfriend! We are at war! A nin of such a low level cannot bring the solution that the best among us could not find!" The shinobi answered angry.

"You must believe me, she is a great strategist, she…"

"You don't need to stand up for me, Kushio." Mitsue interrupted him and shoved his hand away from her shoulder. "I don't really know who you are, _sir, _but I suppose that you're from another village, since I've never seen you in Suna. I don't know how things are in the other villages. But I don't doubt your abilities, and I would give you every possible vote of trust if you told me you could help in this war. See, without even knowing if you're a jounin, chunnin, or S rank. I don't care about your rank." Her voice was slightly louder. "Now, you also don't know me, you don't know anything about my skills. You asked me to tell you who I am. I told you. I could have lied, I could protest and refuse to answer, saying that none of these things should matter. But I opted for sincerity, and yet you don't want to trust in my abilities. Know that I'm proud to be who I am, and that where I come from, people are polite enough to let the other person try before judging. And it's possible that I won't be able to solve the problem, but you are also not getting anywhere so…"

"Tush, you cheeky girl…"

"Enough." Gaara said and, even though it was almost a whisper, everyone heard. The silence was immediate. He continued, with a dangerously calm voice,

"There is no need to waste any time in useless arguments. The girl is right." The officer opened his mouth but Gaara silenced him with a gesture. "We couldn't solve the problem. Maybe she is unable to as well, but she can't make it any worse. So let her try." He turned to the kunoichi, his jade eyes peering at her face.

"Approach."

Mitsue smile slightly and come closer. Two steps away from Gaara she remembered her education and bowed her body graciously. Then she bent over the map. Kushio approached and looked over her shoulder. Temari, who until that moment was silent, offered to explain the organization they had, but Mitsue gently declined. She looked at the map without blinking for almost three whole minutes. A few officers were mumbling, impatient. Gaara watched her carefully. Then she started to nibble her lips, her eyes wandering fast from side to side._"I can almost see her brain working" _Gaara thought. Two more minutes were gone before she straightened her body and looked Gaara deep in his eyes, a stealthy twinkle in hers.

"I have a plan." She announced.

* * *

The blazing sun reflected in the headbands and kunai, temporarily blinding those who looked directly at them. The sweltering heat struck them in increasing waves, and the smell of blood and sweat could be smelt from a distance. The battle was boiling at high fire, bubbling up and spilling. The blood was drying fast under the intensity of the sun, crumbling between the fingers. The third day of war had just begun. The field stunk due to the previous days. And in the heart of all the ninja, there was the hope that the battle was end before noon, before the air was so hot that one could see it.

Gaara felt blood dripping down his face. A familiar feeling growled inside of him._Come on, taste just a little bit, I know that you miss it. "No!" _Gaara yelled at that insistent voice._"You do not miss it. And you would not feel the same pleasure. That monster is not you." _He took a deep breath and cleaned his face with his sleeve, before he opened his hand, releasing from the sand hold the few dozens of creatures he had caught.

"Already finished, Gaara?" His father's voice reached from behind the golden barrier he had built around him. "You used to enjoy more."

"I already said that I'm no longer the monster you created."

"And you don't know how happy that makes me."

Gaara closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't know how he should be feeling. He needed to rest so he could assimilate the new information, so he could understand his new father. A whole life of hate told him not to care, to close his ears to everything he was saying. But he was not driven by hatred anymore. And the other feelings were much more complicated to deal with. Gaara opened his eyes when he sensed a presence approaching.

"Do not get distracted son, I'm fast." The Fourth Kazekage warned while he prepared his new attack.

The ex-demon easily defended himself.

"Don't worry father, I'm faster."

* * *

Temari's eyes wandered around the battlefield. Where was Gaara? He should be close to her squad… That kunoichi's battle plan was perfect, and Gaara had agreed with every detail. Then why was he not following it right now? A stain of blood-red hair caught her gaze. And just beside it…

"Shit." She cursed through her teeth before she turned her attention to her fan's next move._"This was not planned. What Gaara must be feeling?" _Temari tried to decide if her position in the formation was really necessary. It was. "_Hold on little brother, I'll help you." _She just hoped he would not lose his control, so that all their work wasn't in vain.

* * *

"Mitsue!" Kushio shouted.

The woman turned in time to protect herself from the attack. He sighed in relief. He had promised his brother that she wouldn't be visiting him at the medical unit, and he never broke his promises. Kushio smiled slightly when he saw her defeat an enemy, but soon his view was taken by his own opponent. He diverted, struck, killed, wounded, got wounded. Everything is so fast in a battlefield. A voice cried his name.

"Kushio, are you all right?" Mitsue's silhouette was formed in front of him.

"I'm great, girl. And you are doing a really great job."

Mitsue smiled before helping him to get up and resume her position in the formation.

* * *

The battle was going for a few hours now. The noonday sun burned the top of their heads. The nins were tired, but winning. Kushio had recovered and was fighting again. The strategy was being followed and the enemy eradicated. Everything was going well. Mitsue smiled for the second time during the battle. Something rare, even considering how easily the young woman smiled. But despite her smile, she was not distracted. She noticed the approached of the enemy, saw an opening in the triple attack, positioned herself in the best way to get them and destroyed the three in just a few seconds. She was doing a good job on the field, she was proud of herself. She was being useful. A movement on the left caught her attention. She turned quickly. _"Damn, it's too fast, I won't be able to avoid it in time." _She thought desperate while the Edo-Tensei was coming in her direction, a thunder jutsu on his hand. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow. But it never came. When Mitsue opened her eyes, she saw nothing but sand, a giant wall of sand. Looking around she saw the Kazekage staring at her. She smiled for the third time that day. But her smile soon fainted. A figure was fast approaching him.

"Kazekage-sama!" She cried, trying to warn him. But it was not needed. A sand wall emerge by his side, protecting him from his father's attack. Gaara turned his attention to his opponent, dodging from his fast moves and preparing jutsus, the sand around him shaping to attack or to protect.

Mitsue, however, could not control the sand, and it would not come to her assistance if Gaara didn't command it. And this time, the Kazekage was too busy to notice it. So no one saw the moment the Edo-Tensei rounded the sand wall, faster than breathing, and when Gaara looked at her direction, a stroke got her from behind, lacerating her entrails. Mitsue tasted blood filling her mouth. She looked down and saw her clothes drenching with the thick fluid. Red. Red as the Kazekage's hair. Then everything was dark.

* * *

Temari took a deep breath and contemplated the battlefield. Night had fallen and the enemy had retreated. As much as she thought about it, she could not understand why the nocturnal pause. She should be thankful for the break, but the feeling that something worse would pop up in the next day didn't allow her rest. And considering that the last time they were presented with the even stronger undead, her concern was valid. She approached the place Gaara was resting with a distant look.

"Gaara?" She called quietly, he did not answer. "Can I sit beside you?" Again, no answer. Temari sighed and sat by her brother's side.

There were so many things she would like to say. But she didn't say anything. If he were someone else, if _she_ were someone else, they could have held and comforted each other. He would say what their father had told him and her, like a good big sister, would caress his hair, give him a kiss on the forehead, and promise that everything would be fine. But they were not other people. And that was why she knew that just sitting by his side was enough.

After a few minutes, Gaara turned and looked at her.

"How was the counting today?" He asked in his usual voice, unbending.

Temari passed him the data, the number of dead, the number of wounded, how many could still fight and an estimate of how many enemies had withdrawn and how many would appear at dawn.

"Oh, and you may wanna know: That girl that arranged the strategy, Mitsue?"

Gaara nodded affirmative.

"Kushio took her to the doctors, but it is very likely that she will not survive. I saw the girl. Seemed more dead than alive."

Gaara looked at her distantly for a moment. A different sheen passed his gaze. Temari felt a shiver down her spine. "_It can not be." _That, in Gaara's eyes, was sadness? But as suddenly as it came, the emotion disappeared.

"Well, that's a shame." Gaara said quietly.

* * *

**N/A: What you guys think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A million thanks to Eryn Michaels for her wonderful work**

* * *

_UnExeptional - chapter 2_

The first thing she registered was a strong smell of medicine, then how much her throat was dry, and lastly the whispers of conversations in the distance. Mitsue opened her eyes slightly. A face appeared in her line of sight.

"Well, well, you really are a tough girl." A familiar playful voice spoke**.** "I'm glad."

She parted her lips and tried to speak, but no sound came out. Her tongue felt swollen in her mouth.

"Here, have some water."

Mitsue gratefully accepted, but when she tried to get up, she felt a hand**on** her shoulder.

"You better not move."

The glass was brought to her lips and she drank eagerly, shivering a little when the movement caused a huge discomfort in her stomach.

"Easy, girl. We don't want to tearyourstiches" The voice was still playful.

Things were starting to focus now. She was in a white tent, laying on a litter. It was the medical facility. By a gap on the tent she could see a medic nin healing a man's arm. He seemed to be in excruciating pain. Suddenly she became very aware of the deep pain in her stomach.

"Ahh…" Was the first sound that she managed to make.

"Yeah, I know. It hurts." The man beside her took the glass from her trembling pale lips. He leaned over her and slowly his face came into focus. It was Kyoichi, Kushio's twin brother and her old teammate. A kindly smile played on his lips.

"Kyoichi, what am I doing here?" Her voice failed a little, but the meaning was understood.

The smile vanished from his face and was substituted for a look of concern and censure.

"You were seriously injured on the third day of the war. You came here almost dead. Gave us a hard time but we were able to fix you. With a few more days of rest you should be just fine." A tiny smile appeared in his face again. "I warned that I did not want visitors!"

"I'm sorry." She gave him a weak smile. Her attention was taken by medics bringing another litter to fill the space beside her. He was groaning low and two medic nins rushed to attend him. A look of concern spread across her face. "The war is not over?"

Kyoichi shook his head sadly.

"We are at the end of the fourth day."

Mitsue tried to get up, but a pounding (or throbbing?) pain took her body and she fell back with a loud groan.

"What are you thinking?" Kyoichi scolded. "I told you to be still!"

"I have to… help… battle." She answered with the ragged breathing from the pain. She motioned to get up again, but Kyoichi hold her down.

"You are not in any condition to help anyone." He said calmly. Then, with a little note of danger in his voice, "And you better obey me, or I'll dope you and you will only wake up in the next war."

Mitsue stared at him for a while trying to figure out if he was being sincere. She opted to obey for the pain in her stomach told her that he was not being overprotective.

"All right… But can you please at least tell me what is happening out there?"

"Well, the last thing I heard the Kages were fighting against a resurrected Uchiha Madara…

* * *

"Hey girl, wake up." Mitsue heard a voice call her in the darkness of her dream. That dream. She forced her consciousness to follow the voice, anything that took her from the bloodiness.

"Humm…" She mumbled while waking up.

"Are you all right?" The same voice said. She turned her head in it's direction and realized that the bed by her side was occupied by a nin.

She blinked a few times until he came into focus. Then his face's purple paint gave the identity of her tent's companion. He was Kankurou, the Kazekage's older brother.

"Yeah… Why?" She asked, incapable of realizing why he was worried. Nothing was hurting…

"You were whining in your sleep, looked like you're suffering." He answered lifting his shoulders.

She looked him upside down. He didn't look hurt.

"Why are you here? What happened?"

"Exhaustion. I was drained of chakra. And you?"

She pointed to her stomach.

"They almost turned me into sashimi." She said in a very serious tone.

Kankurou laughed loudly.

"I like you, girl. What's your name?"

"I'm Mitsue, from the Sand. And you're Kankurou-san, I highly appreciate your work." She smiled.

Kankurou winked.

"Well, Mitsue, I do hope that you do not became sushi until the end of the war. I would hate to lose contact."

They both smiled and closed their eyes to get back to rest.

* * *

Mitsue was bored. She had been lying in the litter for days, without permission to get up by herself. The worst was that she couldn't even fight against the forced rest, since when she tried to went to the bathroom alone she couldn't take two steps before laying in the ground, panting in pain. She missed Kankurou. He stayed just a few hours there, but was an amazing companion. It was a shame that they probably would never talk again, even though he said he wanted to. As much as she pretended that status did not matter, that was the reality. Her father was still a Chunnin, and her mother was not even a nin. She, herself, would probably Chunnin forever. Her teammates had become chunnins at thirteen, but she only manage to climb up the ranking last year. Her only advantage was above average intelligence. Very above indeed, but only intelligence does not guarantee anything. It was true that she could defeat much more powerful enemies and make good, quick strategies because of her intellect, but there is always a time in which a nin must rely on their strength, and she did not have much. Mitsue sighed in her bed. It's a sad reality. She liked Kankurou a lot. Actually she liked all three siblings of the sand. Temari exuded strength, a true warrior, fierce and just. And the Kazekage… Well, he protected and trusted her. She smiled again remembering his words. "_It seems perfect. Thank you_." She was so engrossed in her thoughts about the Sand Brothers that didn't even realized the tumult forming outside. It was only when she heard Kankurou's voice that she returned to reality.

"Where is my brother?! Let me see him!" His voice was filled with worry and anger.

Mitsue couldn't hear what the medic nin replied.

"What do you mean you can't tell us?" Temari's voice floated to her ears, Mitsue winced, she sounded… dangerous. "I know he is the Kazekage, but I'm HIS SISTER!"

The answer was too low again, but she could hear the roar of anger that followed it, and decided to see what was happening. Very carefully she lifted herself from the bed and walked towards the tents edge. She found herself in a lit corridor, where further down a large concentration of nins were trying to calm two angry siblings.

"Temari-san. Kankurou-san, please, you're disturbing the patients." The medic nin that seemed to be in command muttered.

"I'll stop disturbing them as soon as you tell me what is happening to my brother!"

"But sir, I already told you, this kind of information is confidential. He is the Kazekage, we cannot reveal any details of his heath…"

"It's alright. I can take care of it." Said a voice behind the commotion. The medic nin gave passage for a medic with bright pink hair.

The nin walked towards the siblings, wiping her bloody hands on a cloth. A thought flashed like thunderbolt in Mitsue's mind, and she felt her stomach twist with the certainty that it was the Kazekage's blood.

"Sakura." Temari said a little more controlled, what allowed certain despair to be heard in her voice. "Tell me what is going on with my brother." The phrase was somewhere between a request and an order.

Sakura glanced reassuringly to the other doctors and some of them dispersed.

"Temari-san, Kankurou-san… I wish I could tell you better news, but the true is that the gravity of his injuries is higher than we thought. Your brother is unstable, and we have five nins working working on stabilizing him." Sakura stopped and took a deep breath. "However, we have motives to be hopeful. It will probably take days, but it seems he will recovery completely. His body is responding well to the jutsu." She added in a lighter tone. "Any modification and I'll let you know, but I don't think anything will change for a while."

Mitsue realized she had been holding her breath while Sakura was talking. She released the air slowly and a bad feeling, anguish, filled her heart. What happened to the Kazekage? She really hoped he would be okay. She turned to go back to bed. But the movement made her body twist with pain, and, before she knew it, she loosed a scream and saw the ground approaching quickly. A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Dizzy with pain, she failed to see the face of her savior, and it was only when he put her back in bed that she could recognize him.

"Hey, Mitsue, want me to call a medic?"

She looked at Kankurou's tired face, the marks of worry around his eyes, and felt the sudden urge to cry._"This is so wrong. Good people should not suffer this way."_

"No need, thank you." She smiled faintly. "Maybe we should call a sushi chef.

She saw a sad smile grow on his face.

"None of that. You promised you wouldn't turn into food."

"I never promised you anything." She laughed of the displeasured grimace he made. "But I'm fine now, thanks for the concern. Listen, I… I heard about your brother." A shadow crossed Kankurou's face. " I hope he'll be okay. I really do."

He looked away and muttered a thanks, his attention now focused to Temari, who was entering the tent. Mitsue realized for the first time how tired the nin looked. Her hair fell over her shoulder, loose from the usual pigtails. A cut on her eyebrow marred her pretty face, and wires of dried blood ran down her clothes. Her eyes, while dry, were tinged with a hint of red and were encircled by large dark rings.

Temari's eyes wandered around the room, stopping first on Kankurou, then on Mitsue. A flash of recognition passed over her eyes.

"Hey… you're Mitsue, the strategist…"

Mitsue confirmed with a nod.

"You're alive…" Temari said in a distant tone. "Gaara will be happy to know…" Her voice failed.

Kankurou stood up and held his sister. She finished the phrase with her face buried in his chest. "If he survives to hear…"

Mitsue closed her eyes and wished she was anywhere but there. She didn't want to intrude on their privacy that way. But she didn't hear the sound of crying, or the murmurs of comfort. She remained with closed eyes until she heard a rustle. When she opened it, they were no longer in the tent.

* * *

**N/A: I know this was a short one... The next will be bigger, I promise!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for being so long! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to Eryn Michaels**

* * *

_UnExceptional_

_Chapter 3_

Sun. No matter what happened, the sun was always there in Suna. Mitsue winced under the intense heat. After many days lying in a bed, facing the desert was hard for her. She thought about how many things had changed since the war started. And how much didn't change. Suna was still Suna, with its white houses. Her parents were still the same, smiling. However, the black cloth hanging from houses' widows were a constant reminder that not everyone had been so lucky. The big scar in her stomach, extremely sensitive to touch, was a reminder that by little, very little indeed, she almost had no such luck.

Two children came running by her side, engaged in some childish game, Mitsue smiled. They had also been lucky, lucky for not being forced to understand. For being able to run freely in the streets of Suna, no worries, no guilt, no horrific images in their heads. Mitsue's smile faded when she remembered that one day she had been like that. What did the future hold for those children? How long would the peace last? She wanted to have hope, to believe that this was, in fact, the last war. But a skepticism that she had not known to possess told her to open her eyes and look at the facts as they were. It didn't matter how much time it took, eventually there would be another war. When the ones that fought in the last one no longer walked in this world, when the ideals they fought for were but memories, when the sense of unity that grew among the nations no more than a myth. And maybe those children whom now played would know the war anyway. Or maybe_they_wouldn't, but their children or grandchildren. Mitsue looked around. She looked at the white houses, at the small gardens cultivated with such effort, at the solemn faces who accompanied her to the city center, at the animals that followed them, without knowing for sure what was happening, at the blue sky, unclouded, at the incandescent sun. Momentarily blinded, she leaned in her mother's arm not to fall.

"Mitsue, is everything okay? Are you feeling any kind of pain?" Her mother's voice echoed in her head, clear, strong, sincere.

"No, mom. It's fine." Her girl answered kindly.

And then she smiled._"When did I become such a pessimist?"_ Mitsue kept smiling the rest of the way, not really knowing why. And when they gathered in the square, when she met her colleagues, when she searched for the best possible position, she realized she was smiling because life goes on. And since life continues, was to be seized.

Gaara scanned the crowd that waited for his words in the pram. It would be a lie to say that he could see how many casualties the population suffered. But he_could see_how shaken it had been. He saw it in the tired faces; in the way many people seemed to lean on each other. And he wished. He wished he could have defended everyone during the battle; that no one, but him, had had to participate in combat. A sigh escaped his lips and he felt a hand perch on his shoulder.

"Let's go, Gaara?" Temari looked sorely at him. Gaara's eyes found the scar that marked his sister's face. He wished he had protected her better. But Temari wasn't someone who needed to be protected. The entire population of Suna wasn't. They were strong. With a short nod of his head he went to the balcony in which he would make his speech.

Mitsue felt the corner of her lips turn at the sight of the approaching figure. Her smile failed a little when she noticed he walked leaning heavily on his older brother, but soon started to grow again when the Kazekage gently disentangled from Kankurou. She felt the mass of people hold their breath when their lead limped through the last stretch of the balcony, until he found the edge. He stayed for an instant supported on the wood, recovering himself. Then he lifted his eyes and peered into the crowd. There was something… different in his jade eyes. Then he started.

"Citizens of Suna. This war started with a speech of mine and it will end with another. Although weeks have elapsed since, I know that the war is not over for most of you. It's not over because life has yet to return to normal. It's not over because the pain of the losses are still deafening." Gaara made a pause and took a deep breath. The cold sweat running down his face was a clear sign to him that he couldn't talk for much longer. "I wish I was able to do so much more than I can. To erase everything that happened, to avoid that lives, dreams were shattered. I wish I was able to prevent people from knowing the horrors of war. But I can't. I can't ease the pain from loosing loved ones, or retake the innocence you left in the battlefield. No one can." Another pause. "But I _can _remind you of what we conquered. Today the Five Great Villages are allies; the shinobi world is united under the same flag, the shinobi flag. In this war we did not just overcome the enemy. We overcame the prejudice. We overcame years of hate weighting upon our heads. We overcame the hatred itself. All the suffering we live through has hatred as the origin. And while there is hate, suffering is inevitable." Gaara's voice failed. He made another pause, swallowed hard._"Just a little more."_He noticed Temari approaching his side, ready to talk, he send her a reassuring look. Then continued, his voice steady again. "But now, a new chapter of history begins. A chapter in which what moves us will not be hatred, because it was overcome in the end of the previous one. From now on, what will move us will be the consideration for others, and willingness to make a better world. Not only concerning your villages. There are no more villages, just one large one, divided in many pieces. Consideration is the key-word of this new chapter, and I want you all to remember it every day!"

The rumbling of applauses rose form the pram. Gaara felt his body waver. The effort was becoming too much for him to handle. Kankurou came to his side, determined to help him inside. Gaara stopped him but accepted the support resignedly. When the applause decreased he spoke again.

"I want to say just one more thing. I want to thank you all who fought in this war, who have joined us to defend our world. I'm very proud to be the Kazekage. I am very proud of you all.

A new volley of applause was heard, and Gaara let himself be taken into his office, exhausted.

"Mitsue! There is a young men wanting to talk to you down here." Naoko's voice echoed in the house. Mitsue dressed quickly and went down stairs. Who would that be? It wasn't one of the twins, her mother would have told her. When she reached the first floor and walked towards the entrance, she felt her blood freeze. If she wasn't mistaken, the guy standing there worked at the Kazekage's office.

"Good morning, miss. I'm Akira. I'm here to bring you an invitation from the Kazekage. He would like you to go to his office immediately."

Mitsue staked._"What did I do?"_was the only thing she could think.

"My daughter, what did you do?" Her mother echoed her thoughts.

"There is no reason to be afraid. If you could come with me…"

The girl dipped her head in a nod and threw a look to her mother.

"Come in," Came the Kazekage's voice from inside the room. Mitsue took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

"I was told that you would like to see me, sir." She said trying to maintain firmness in her voice. Not being able to remember what fault she could have committed that would justify the intervention of the supreme authority of the village.

Gaara raised his eyes from the documents in which he was working and stared at the girl. The difference between this time and the other time he saw her was striking. Her hair and clothes were clean and there was no visible scratch. But her golden eyes were the same, that same glow, and the same determination.

"Yes, take a seat." Gaara answered before he returned his attention to the documents.

Mitsue shifted uncomfortable. She didn't know how much time had passed, but had the sensation that she had been sitting in that place for hours. The Kazekage's silence made her nervous. Her eyes wandered around the office. It was a serious place, severe, meticulously neat and clean. There was nothing to indicate who worked there, no hint of personhood. On one of the walls were portraits of the previous Kazekages; on the other a large window overlooked the city. The other two walls were filled with bookshelves and a couch. There was a big table, with two armchairs on one side and a much bigger one in the other. It was the armchair in which the Kazekage sat. Mitsue observed him for a moment, his red hair, the tired green eyes, and the scar on his forehead; love. She never thought about the Kazekage as being anything but the Kazekage. However, once inside his office, comparing him to his predecessors, seeing him so close, she couldn't help but notice that he was just a guy about 16. She thought of the great responsibility that weighed heavily upon his back and couldn't avoid a feeling of compassion to flourish inside her. A faint blush rose to her cheeks when she realized he was looking back. Mitsue turned her head away. She had changed her mind. She preferred when he looked at the documents. The intensity of his gaze made her even more nervous than his silence. He watched her a few seconds before starting to speak.

"Mitsue, I called you here for two reasons. Do you have any idea what they are?"

The girl shook her head, shaking her curls, then remembered who was her interlocutor and hastily added: "No, sir, I don't know why I'm here."

Gaara made a short nod that didn't let her know whether or not he liked her answer.

"Well, first of all, I would like to thank you for your great contribution during the war…"

"I didn't do more than my duty." Mitsue interrupted him before she could catch herself, and then gave herself a mental slap._"Girl, it doesn't matter how young he is, he is still the Kazekage, demonstrate some respect!"_"I apologize." She added lowly.

Gaara gave another nod. "The fact that you believe you did nothing but what you should as a shinobi, gives me even more sure about the second topic I want to discuss with you. But before I will finish the first, and I'd like you to listen to the end."

Mitsue closed her eyes at the mild rebuke, she felt ashamed of her actions. The voice of the Kazekage did not denote irritation, but she had the feeling that she would prefer if it did.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. What you did during the battle was invaluable; thanks to your strategy we were able to defeat the enemy. You showed great calm and full control in front of a situation that can be seen as stressful. Besides showing everyone an exceptional level of intelligence, you had another admirable quality: determination"

He took a brief pause. Mitsue saw it as permission to speak. "Thank you very much, Kazekage-sama."

Again, just a short nod was his answer.

"Now let's talk about the second topic. My observations during the war and my subsequent reflections made me make a decision. As you must know, we suffered great losses, especially in the last battle. I lost one of my councilors in this war. The post became vacant and several people were nominated to occupy it, but I had already decided whom I would like to take the place. That's way I have a proposition to make to you." Gaara stopped for an instant and watched her face closely. She seemed confused, and he looked pleased. "I'd like you to assume the position as part of the village council. Now, you can look at this proposition in three different ways. You can see as a token of appreciation for your services to the shinobi world, an honorary position. You can see as a position you conquered by proving your great intellectual abilities, or as both cases. No matter what way I hope it helps you to choose to take the position fully satisfied.

Mitsue stayed silent. Her mind was working faster than ever. "_It can't be. He is offering me a job of such importance?"_She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say. Then the Kazekage made something that surprised her immensely. He sighed.

"I'm sorry. I probably didn't express myself right and sounded rude. I don't want to impose anything. Let me rephrase it. Mitsue, I want to ask you to become a part of the Village's Council. I'd appreciate very much if you accept if it suits you."

This time Mitsue found what to say.

"Kazekage-sama, in no way were you rude. I didn't say anything because I couldn't believe what I heard. This is a great honor that I could never dream of." Recovering from the initial shock she continued in a more natural tone. "If you're sure about it, just tell me when to start!"

"So you're taking the position?" Gaara asked to confirm.

"Most certainly, yes!" Mitsue replied with a large smile.

"Very well. My secretary will inform you what to do." With these words and a nod, the Kazekage dismissed her.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo, what do you think? Let me know!**


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